Chapter 366: 361: The First Letter

Just as Antonius is continuing his speech, a rider suddenly galloped in to the terrace and got stopped by the guards, halting the speech of Antonius briefly. It seems like the rider carries some vital information with him that he even started arguing with the guards who just do not allow him to enter. Antonius excused himself from the crowd, walked to the gate of the terrace and enquired what is going on, then did he finally spot the flag the rider is carrying on his back that symbolises for emergency deliveries.
Antonius' guard hurriedly passed the letter to Antonius, then later asked the guards to bring the rider some where to have a rest, and started reading the letter from scratch with the help of a lamp light. Apparently this letter is a reply from Abdullah who have received Antonius' enquiry a few days ago. In the letter Abdullah re emphasized the fact that the state needs to recover and is unable to handle another major regional crisis, hinting in his words that if there is an internal dispute in Drama, there is no other choice for the central government but to send in the army to wipe out all resistance and sources of problem with blood and iron, settle this chaos over here as soon as possible even if it would mean killing a ton of people and give up all efforts to build this place for past five years.
Abdullah did give his explanations in the letter, that is the geographical importance of Drama is way too high for any sort of internal chaos to take place, it is one of the five main plains of the state with arable lands. Meaning that the agriculture activities here is critical for the troop movements on the borders against the Ottomans. If this region becomes unstable which requires troops to be drawn here and clear the situation, the enemies from the North and the East might potentially take advantage of the chaos and launch an attack – that can be very dangerous, if the valuable buffer zone of Drama falls, the state's core territories of Serres and Thessaloniki can come under direct threats by the enemy's highly mobile forces.
In conclusion Abdullah suggested that killing one or two to set an example is enough, but not to wipe out every single land lord and merchant here despite they all being pests and parasites, just to keep the regional stability preventing the society of Drama from experiencing a total break down. After a few years when they come back to Thrace again there will be another opportunity to get rid of them, but that time is not now.
In the ending Abdullah attached a personal note mentioning that the old man, Anjelo's health have been seriously deteriorating, it seems like there is some creeps in his lungs as now the old man is coughing mucus with blood every single evening.
Antonius sighed, folded the letter and placed it in his pocket. He has expected Abdullah to have the same idea as him, and now it is up to him to decide on what to do with these people inside. He took a deep breathe and ventured back in to the terrace again.
"Chairman Borislav!" Antonius winked and approached the Bulgarian elder. "Tell me honestly, if you, or your family, is able to get a chance to get in to the government to serve me and the people of Rome, will you still allow your family to convict crimes like this murdering and robbing my people?"
Borislav is just about to make a quick answer when he suddenly realised some thing and stalled.  He tried hard to squeeze the wrinkles on his face forcing a smile that looks even worse than a weep. He gulped his saliva and finally replied with a trembling voice. "My lord, if by God's grace any one from my family had the chance to achieve a title in your prestigious office, I swear that I would personally hold the blade of Damocles over their heads, making sure that they will never have the chance to do any thing that goes against your rules, your laws and your morale codex without any questions! Trust my words! My lord! If my family can get a chance to prove themselves! I! I!...
"Yuri, let me ask you." Antonius ignored the trembling chair man and turned to his faithful Varangian guard. "I heard that your son is going to reach the age of seven, and always had a decent performance in the eyes of the neighbours, without causing any troubles unlike the other Varangian kids on the streets of Thessaloniki? Let me ask you Yuri, if your son is going to be admitted in to the College of Thessaloniki to study the knowledge of ancient Roman and Greek philosophes, do you think that he shall become a qualified leader next time?"
Yuri did not expect his admiral to ask him this question out of a sudden, he scratched his head and gave a shy chuckle replying in a way totally unlike his usual boasting personality. "Well… Admiral, I do admit that my boy Vlad is indeed less miss behaving than the other boys of the neighbourhood, but I do not think that he is able to become a qualified scholar in the future as clearly he is more interested in wielding the axe and blades…"

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"Ahem." Antonius gave a quick cough and winked towards Yuri, which made the later finally understand that the admiral is trying to hint some thing as he stopped and rephrased his reply. "Of course, admiral… Though my boy has a problem over here and that, but I do think that he might become a qualified scholar in the years to come."
After getting the correct answer he wants, Antonius turned to face Borislav and smiled. "What about you, honourable chair man, do you think that your child is able to make it as a school mate of my faithful Varangian Yuri?"
Borislav might be old, but he certainly is not dumb, he instantly acquired the meaning in the Caesar's words and gaped in a mood of surprise. Considering how damn hard it is in this era to rise one's social statues, what the Caesar just offered them is an opportunity, a ladder, a chance that he cannot get after working out hard for his entire life. Making his son a student under those famed mentors in Thessaloniki would mean that his son, and his future generations, will abort the identity as a mere merchant, and gain a title working as a government official, gaining a title which makes them no longer a peasant, but a noble. One can imagine how hard it is to join the class of the nobility considering that fact that they do not carry any noble blood within their vessels.
After regaining his consciousness, the chairman Borislav instantly kneeled on to the floor with his head low. "I… I do not know how to thank you! Holy Christ! May God always bless you in any of the obstacles ahead of you on your path of reviving the Roman empire! I… I… I thank you, on behalf of my sons and grand sons… I vow here that the family of Aleksandrov shall be loyal to your lordship forever, until the sun dies out and the moon fades away, until the eternity of…"
"I do not believe in things like vows and swears, honourable chairman, please do stand up." Antonius pulled Borislav's arms with force. "What I need is not only your child."
"I am willing to offer you any thing I have, my lord." Borislav answered obediently with his head lowered, bowing slightly to the lord he has now chosen to serve.
"But not only does I want your child, I want you too… Honourable Chairman, I now invite you to join my court and accept the position as a specialised advisor on the internal affairs of Drama, and also on the external affairs of Bulgaria. What do you thin?"
"Say no more, my lord." Borislav replied with out nay hesitation. "I an obliged to serve you, I am your subject, and I shall serve you with all my knowledge, heart and mind."
Antonius nodded giving Borislav a pat on his shoulder, just like how the lords and nobles in the west awards their subjects, and went in to the middle of the Terrace looking at every one else, who are now in a mixture of various complicated emotions. Some of them are shocked and confused, not believing that the Caesar would give a government title to one of them who are neither noble born, nor have accompanied the Caesar in various battles. Some of them sneer and raise their eye brows, believing that this trickery is only to separate them, dissolute their alliance and make them easier targets to pick on next time. Some of them are full of anticipation, hoping that the Caesar would pick their child, or if even better, themselves to receive the same treatment as the chairman Borislav.

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